Combination wheel chair and bed



Aug. 26, 1952 R. E. BALLUFF COMBINATION WHEEL CHAIR AND BED 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed NOV. 23, 1948 1| wa w. ..4 ,I Mw IMMHH Z l .Q. m MW .w /v\Q 7 id /VVCX S N\ /V\V\` N\ s www, 6\ h. INF W5 v n u b xxxxwnmlxxx S zIIIIIMM. Q I x www m ---M Xx www Xwmm @32. x vx @...Wuwxx w df v .X vn Xn Q Aug. 26, 1952A R. E. BALLUFF COMBINATION WHEEL CHAEE AND BED 2SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed NOV. 23, 1948 n 'INI/ENTOR. aZZu//f azz-gy.

l UWM HH R l MH HH Patented Aug. 26, 1952 l"Thisiinve'ntion'f-is:abed-:designediorfthefaccomunoiation*sand:comforttoiinvalids,aamciafseelzsztlfie{combinati-on ioffan especia-limdesignedbed ywithraAiconventional:whelfnhaininasuclmnannenthatfthe tchairnnaytbeasscciated"withlthe 'bed :to'rrpro'vide-fsl'eepingfacconnnodationszfoiathespatientporz'mayberemoue'dffromzthe"bedstructurefandzutilizednin ziitsfcapacityeas ,rawheel chair;

An objectief the .linventionistoLprovidethe scombinedstructures`referred :to na-suchimanner :sas .to 'fnobviate the :necessity -uf.:removing r`the apatient from zapbed :to fazawheelmhair :whennit :is',zdesired thatthe l:patient :be wheele'd cabout, :fas

"swell 'ea-sito nobviate the :,.usual pmcedurefoffxliitingzisieritirely-rovercome.

' tirez-foregoing )objects :1in fview, together @with :others .whichwill appearf as :the fdescription qcroceeds, 'fthe invention uconsistsof .the :novel fnonstruction, 1 combination fand arrangement .of parts,all as will be describedrmorefullyhereinaitergillustraltedthe drawings,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawingz rliig. .ilffis sa vtop planaview:,offsafzcombined 4wheelchair and bed in assembled positionfori'sleeping purposes. v

Fig. 2 is a. perspective view o'i'thebed structure by itself,

Y Figf-lafis an-enlarged dtailview showingv the 'jllatchstructure usedin lconnection with "the ffoot #piece cfthe 4bed frame,

- Figu''isfa sectionals'idelelevation of -a'conventional form.ofvwheehchair zusedA in connection with the bed structure, and

Figkgi is a similar view-'showing .the wheelchairl with `its "parts inlelevated positi'on as for-Y use as mabed.

The bed structure includes a head piece indicated at 5, to which ispermanently attached the horizontal frame 6 having legs 1 supporting theforward end of the frame and acting as a foot piece. 'I'he bed frameincludes parallel horizontally disposed bars 8 arranged in pairs at eachside of the bed and providing a space indicated at S between the pairs.'I'his space is closed at the head end of the bed by a transverse bar Ifirmly secured to the main bed frame by bars I I. The inner longitudinalbar 8 of each o1' the pairs is secured rmly in the frame at the foot ofthe bed,

filaims. (ELE-6) fandaswinging'bar lIf-zfpivotdasfaltataitoonesitde fofthe bed iframe vinay-"be 'utilized -filose :nine fopen endoffthefspacefsatithefootrof the-bed. vAny jdesireditypefdflatchvorf'secuingnneansunay 5 Irbefused fforfmaintainingltheibarVE'1|2.' in-.uclosedxor 'thorizontalfposition InfthefpresentinstanceforVIpurposesLfof*illustration1 merely-.i the :ifi-ee fendlfzf the bar I2is provided with ame'ducedeprojection ililfhavinglafl-lead il 51 at itsA' outer kendito :seatfand I0 firmly rest "in Ta fs'imilarly 1 shaped copening .116 Eat the foppositefside o'f fthe ybe'dframe.

` u; v'vided `with `=be`d 3spring :fabric lrepresented at fl'f1, -and#an elongated ='U-=shaped finattress IIB-irests V#upon vvtheseportions`oi ltheffl-iorizontalbed.' frame. 'Thismattress-corresponds ins'ize'andfshape with the'bed-springofthefbed'ffrarne. l

-The wheel-*chair#for use rinfconnection-'f-withthe *bed *ir-amevabove"ispeciiiirally described Aiis shown V'more lpartici'ilarly'" in'AAFigs." 31 and v- 4 f off the-fdrawings. This -f'chair' includesthe-usual'fchasi'sfsup- `)ported'fby the smain Awi-ieels |19 andavcasterwhel n `2|). The :seat `portion 142-`| #ofthe v'hairf'isusonarranged upon the chassis as to be capable of being raisedori-lowered, "and to this'lendfffand i'forpur- :poses cf `illustration"only, l the sseat is equipped lwith lspaced 'dependingposts-ZZfoperatingin" upstanding hollow yposts Aor #sock-'et members T23`rigidly secured `"to the --chassis. -fspring-"con itrolle'd latch.member '-21' carried "-by Iul'ias'sis *has-fa detent 25 xatfo'nefendto-engage"withinfi-"eficesses "26 arranged- -in i"spaced relationlupon-fone 'ofthe-#posts 22 "to "maintainth'e"seat-member'i| *firmly "in-either raised or lowered position. Whenfinraisedpositionptheseatwithlitscusiiion "21 will be 1 in` ftruehorizontlalignment withthe l"bedTrame-Iiandfthe'mattress llsupport'e'd'thererestso as to be capable of being swung rearwardly upon and across the back29.

The foot and leg support for the chair is indicated at 32 and ishingedly connected as at 33 to the forward end of the seat 2|. This legrest is provided at its lower end with a foot rest 3l,

and is also equipped with a cushion indicated at 35. The back rest,similarly, is provided with a cushion 36.

The swinging back 29 is provided with a. rearwardly and downwardlyextending arm 31, to the free end of which is pivotally secured a linkframe.

` assume the position shown in Fig. 3.

Y' 38 extending forwardly and beneath the seat and pivotally connectedas at 39 to toggle linksy 40. One of the links 40 is pivoted to thechair chassis while the other is pivoted to the seat 2|.

The arm 31 also has pivotally secured thereto a link 4|, extendingforwardly beneath the seat and pivotally connected as at 42 at itsforward end to an arm 43 secured to the pivoted leg rest 32. l

The construction and arrangement of parts is such that the arm rests 30may be swung rearwardly and folded upon the rear face of the head rest2S in an out of the way position when it is desired. Upon releasing thelatch 24 and pulling;

rearwardly upon the back rest 29, the toggle and to combine in the twoelements a bed which will prove most comfortable and practical, at thesame time affording wheel chair service without the necessityV oflifting the patient. The wheel chair here disclosed is but one type ofchair possible for use in connection with the specic bed framedescribed, as it will be understood that other mechanisms for bringingabout the coaction of the seat, head and leg rests may be employed ifdesired;

l. In a bed structure, the combination with a structure 38-40 will causethe seat 2| to be raised f and at the same time the link structure4|-42-43 will cause the leg and foot rest to swing upwardly tohorizontal position. Thev construction and arrangement of the linkage ortoggle structureis such that when the back 29 is horizontally alignedwith the seat 2|, the leg rest 32 will be similarly aligned and theentire supporting structure will be elevated to the same horizontalplane as Ythe horizontal bed frame.

VWhen inthis position, the back 29 will rest upon the cross bar 50connecting the innermost bars 8 of the bed frame. u

lIn use, the `wheel chair, in horizontal position,

'is accommodated Vwithin rthe space S with its body supporting parts inhorizontal position and elevated to the same plane as the bed frame. Thearms will have been moved rearwardly upon the f back 29 in an out of theway position, and the back willbe supported by the cross bar 5|).r Thechair parts in extended position will be substantially equal to thelength-of the space S, and the `bar |2 is dropped to horizontal positionto hold the chair and the bed frame against relative movement. The-latch24 will maintain the parts Virmly in position. The chair and bed framethus assembled provide a bed surface upon which the patient maycomfortably, rest, and the patient 4may he turned from side to side whenrequired to adjust the draw sheet or other mattress protectors orcovers. l

- Should it be desired to remove the patient .from the bed in horizontalposition, it is but necessary to adjust the'bed clothing accordingly,raise the bar |2Hand wheel the chair from withinthe U .When it isdesired to wheel the patient from Vthebed in sitting or semi-inclinedposition,

yitis but necessary to properly locate the patient Vuponthe cushions ofthe wheel chair, after first having properly cared for the bed clothing,and elevate the back 29, whereupon the parts will After `lifting theretaining bar `I2 the patient maybe removed from the bed frame to securethe benefits of the Wheel chair.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have constructed a bed framein such manner that a wheel chair may be readily associated therewithextending inwardly from one end thereof, of a chair chassis disposedwithin said opening, seat, back rest and leg supporting sections mountedon said chassis in interconnected relationship, means on said chassisfor moving said sections into horizontal alignment with one another andntowtheysame horizontal plane with said bed frame7 the length andbreadth of said sections when in horizontal position being substantiallyequal to the length'andbreadth of said opening so asto snugly interttherein, means carried by said bed frame-and disposed within saidopening ito support saidback restV when the latter is in horizontalposition, and means on said bed frame holding said chassis within thelatter.

2. In abed structure, the combination with a vbed frame mounted inhorizontal position and saidr chair is incapable of movement withrespect to the bed frame when the chair sections are in horizontalpositions. i

' RUTH E. BALLUFF.

REFERENCES CITED A The following references are of record inuthe file ofthis patent: Y' *n UNTTED STATES PATENTS l Number Name Date 396,607Saunders Jan. 22,*1889 1,289,959 Taylor Dec. 31, 1918 1,787,380Iplicjian Dec. 30, 1930 2,275,973 Marchbanks Mar. 10, 1942 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Datev 381,163 France Oct. 30, 1907 578 GreatBritain .1852

